Memories of Tess
by Miss Disdain
Summary: Van Helsing and Carl return to Transylvania to find answers about Gabriel's past. And kill Dracula... again. They save a girl named Tess who might have been part of Gabriel's life. MAJOR TWIST IS COMING!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Van Helsing. I do own Tess. This is my first ever Van Helsing fan fiction! (claps for self)

She had to get away. If she could make it until nightfall she could get away. In the dark they couldn't see her, in the dark they wouldn't come out. She had to get away. Her ragged breathing couldn't drown out the screams of angry villagers. She hadn't done anything. She hadn't called the vampires, she hadn't made them come. She was merely a scapegoat, the reason for all bad happenings. She had heard them whisper about her, had seen them move away quickly. She knew they didn't trust her. Why should they? She, Tess, the girl who danced in the moonlight, who ventured into the forest at night, the girl who wasn't afraid of the night animals, the girl, who, with her arrival, seemed to bring bad things, she who was followed by the wolf.

The wolf ran next to her now, his silver fur glittering in the dying sun that filtered through the trees, amber eyes gleaming with the excitement of the hunt. Did he know they were the hunted?

"Come back dog child, come back and fight!" a voice shouted. Right behind her. Too close. Tess sped up, glancing over her shoulder. Her curly dark brown hair whipped across her face and she tripped, rolled, jumped up, and kept running. The voices were closer. The sun was sinking over the hills. They wouldn't chase her after dark would they? So much depended on them stopping when it got dark. She couldn't keep it up much longer, her lungs burned and her legs threatened to give way.. She jumped a log, stumbled and fell, her leg twisting sickeningly. She tried to push herself up and almostscreamed in fear when she couldn't do it. She couldn't get up. She was too tired, and she almost passed out in pain.

The wolf stopped and looked at her, head cocked quizzically. He seemed to ask _why won't you get up? Come now we __were having such a good time!_ She looked at the wolf helplessly.

"Go away!" she gasped. The wolf stood there. "Go _away!_" she panted again. The pain was almost unbearable and she was whining, whimpering like an animal. She was an animal. They were hunting her like an animal, and she was wounded, unable to defend herself. She was trapped like a cornered animal. Her eyes swam with tears, and the wolf was blurred. But he was still there. She blinked back the tears furiously, still whimpering. The wolf turned its head, ears cocked forward. With a flash it disappeared into the forest.

The screaming was so close now, they were almost on her. A man peered over the log and jeered at her. She laid there. This was the end and if she was to die, well she would die fighting.

"I found the little brat!" he screeched, voice heavily accented in the typical Transylvanian speech. She squirmed but he grabbed her and yanked her up. The rest of them were on her by now. She tried to break away but fell. Every bit of her energy was summed up and she pulled sideways away from the man. He let go and she fell, slamming into the hard ground. They were on her in a flash, beating her face with their fists. Some left to find the wolf. She screamed and they all stopped. Her scream pierced through their sound, a long wail of fear and pain.

Van Helsing and Carl rode through the woods, their two horses stepping lightly through the leaf carpeted ground. Darkness was almost upon them.

"Don't you think we should stop?" Carl asked, shifting wearily in his saddle.

"No Carl. I've told you there's an inn ahead, just a little while longer," Van Helsing said, fixing one of his reins. A sudden scream spooked both of their horses into a half bolt. Carl clutched the horse's mane tightly, narrowly avoiding a spill. Van Helsing reined in his horse easily, absentmindedly moving a hand up to press down his hat.

"What was that?" his monk friend asked fearfully. Van Helsing was already urging his horse into a canter.

"A call for help."


	2. Saved by the Wolf

Disclaimer: Sorry if my tabs isn't working. I typed this on wordpad and I'm not quite sure how to fix it.

The wolf watched them from the bushes, eyes gleaming through the dark. They were hurting her, the human. He liked

the human alot, she wasn't like the other humans. She was wolf like, pup like. He took care of her and she was always

thankful. Now she needed help and it was his loyal duty to protect her. She was family, he couldn't abandon family. With a

vicious snarl that twisted his face into an evil expression he leapt forward, catching one of the villagers in the back.

"Werewolf!" Someone screamed. "She's called the werewolf!" In seconds they were up and screaming, racing to get

away from the wolf. The wolf's victim was not so lucky as the angered creature's wicked jaws closed around his neck...

Van Helsing thundered into the clearing, his horse rearing in fear at the sight of the wolf. The wolf looked up, ears

perked forward, eyes glittering, frozen in undecisiveness, wondering whether he should run or fight. Dark red stained his gray

and white flecked fur, down his neck and around his muzzle. With a flick of his tail he was gone, vanished like smoke.

Van Helsing leapt off his horse and walked to the girl's side. The sound of slow hoofbeats signaled the arrival of Carl.

The friar jumped off his horse and stumbled over to Van Helsing.

"So who screamed-" he stopped midsentence when he saw her laying before him. She was face down, hair splayed

around her in dark brown waves. Her gray green tunic was torn, and she had attempted to curl into a protective fetal position

before losing consciousness. Her left leg was twisted sickeningly, obviously broken. Carl turned a slight green at the sight of

her leg.

"Is she dead?" he asked fearfully. Gabriel knelt beside her, turning her over. Her face, pretty under normal

circumstances, was scratched and bruised blue black. Van Helsing scanned her face, then held two fingers over her mouth.

He sighed in relief when he felt air against his fingertips.

"No. But she will be if we dont' help her."

Tess's eyes swam as she came to, the pain making her see stars. She coughed and tried to roll over, realizing that

her leg was bandaged up.

"What the...?" she tried to sit up. Nausea waved over her and she lay back, swallowing the burning taste of vomit that

tried to come up. A figure across the fire looked at her, the hat he wore casting a shadow over his face. The fire then lit it up,

revealing a handsome man with shoulder length, dark brown hair and dark eyes. Deja vu swept both of them. Tess was the

first to speak, seeing as the stranger was only interested in staring at her.

"Who are you? Do I know you?" she asked weakly. He stared at her strangely before answering.

"I am Gabriel Van Helsing. I don't think we've met." He immediately hid all emotions of recognition. He didn't even

know who she was, even though he sensed no evil.

"I'm Tess." She smiled.

"Would you like something to drink?" he offered, holding out a cup of water. Carl returned, dumping sticks onto the

fire.

"I do not appreciate being sent out into the dark to find firewood Van Helsing! My skills are put to much better usel in

other subjects then as your personal slave!" he said huffily. Van Helsing just looked at him amusedly.

"Oh hello there!" Carl said. "Good to see you awake. I'm Carl by the way."

"Tess," she replied sleepily. She tried to reach for the water Van Helsing held out but was too weak. Understanding

he walked over and knelt beside her, tilting her head up so she could drink. She looked at him thankfully. He nodded and

walked back to his former position.

"Carl, cook something to eat for us. Our guest must be hungry." Grumbling, Carl proceeded to pull out pots and

various ingredients. Tess leaned back against the blanket that served as a pillow and sighed, trying to block out the pain. The

crackling of the fire and low humming of Carl soon put her into a painless dark sleep.


	3. Breakfast

Disclaimer: I don't own Van Helsing... but I should. Carl will be returned... sometime.

Tess woke with a start. How long had she been sleeping? She looked across the fire to see Carl almost done cooking. Only a few minutes, that was good. She tried to sit up again, and managed after the first wave of nausea passed. Carl smiled and handed her a few pieces of bacon and a slice of bread. She ate it slowly, trying not to upset her stomach. Van Helsing offered her water, which she sipped, then handed back.

"Thank you," she smiled. He looked at her, then spoke.

"Why did they attack you?" She looked back sadly, her dark eyes meeting his.

"They thought I had called the vampires."

"You didn't?"

"No." Van Helsing took her short answer as a signal to end their conversation. He wouldn't pressure her into talking.

They sat in silence for a few moments, only the sound of the fire and Carl humming something. Gabriel sat there, thinking. She watched him, wondering where she had seen him before, he seemed so familiar... Suddenly his head snapped up and he drew a gun out of his hip holster. He stood with a swirl of his duster and looked around, peering into the dark the fire's light didn't penetrate.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to stand. She stumbled and fell onto him as he caught her with one arm. She clutched his elbow as she tried to stand, legs shaking beneath her. He tried to help her and keep a wary eye at the same time.

"Something's out there," he said ominously. The fire light played made something shine in the dark and he cocked his pistol. Two eyes stared back at them. He pulled the trigger and she yanked on his arm. The bullet whizzed through the trees and up into the sky that was growing lighter. He turned to hit her but stopped when he saw her cowering in fear, arms held above her face protectively.

"Please," she stammered, "I'm sorry, I couldn't let you shoot him, he follows me around... he doesn't want to hurt you..."

"What are you talking about?" Van Helsing asked confused. Carl was frozen in fear, frying pan held up defensively.

"Whatever it was I hope it doesn't come back!" he exclaimed.

"It was my wolf," Tess said, peering into the darkness, "And I hope he does come back." Van Helsing sat back down, holstering his pistol.

"Well it better be as tame as you say it is." Carl shrugged, putting his frying pan back in his sack. Both horses were very spooked and jumped when he tried to tie his pack onto one of them.

"I don't think you'll have to worry Van Helsing, I hear wolves are accepting to other werewolves, or former werewolves." Gabriel gave his monk friend a glare that would have stopped Dracula. He didn't need to be reminded of Anna, or of why he was here. Carl's eyes widened, realizing his mistake and he lay down.

"I guess I'll go to sleep... g'night." Gabriel grabbed him roughly and hauled him onto his feet.

"Oh no. It's almost light out, and we still have to get to the village. You'll be saddling up your horse now." Tess looked at him in confusion.

"How will I ride with my leg broken?"

"I'll strap you onto my horse and I'll walk," he offered. She smiled in thanks and tried to lift herself up. She stood, finally managing it. Suddenly she was off her feet and in his arms, her body pressed to his chest. She looked at him and he smiled slightly, then set her onto his horse. The big black friesan snorted nervously, still fearful of the brush with the wolf. Carl mounted up, still grumbling about his sleep deprivation. Van Helsing tied her leg securely to the saddle to prevent it from becoming more severely injured.

Tess involuntarily shuddered when his hands brushed her legs. She looked away, feeling her face turn red when he looked at her. She pretended not to notice his glance towards her as they started forward. She had just met him and yet for some reason she felt she had known him for a long time. She pushed the thoughts away as they continued through the awakening forest. She looked back, towards the sunrise that was just peeking over the trees, and she thought she saw the silver wolf trotting between the trees after them.


	4. Disguises

Title: Memories of Tess

Disclaimer: I don't own the movie. I do own Tess and the wolf. I might steal Gabriel. :p

Summary: Gabriel and Carl help a girl who may be part of Van Helsing's past.

Her leg ached unmercifully. The movement of the horse made it throb, and making her irritable. Carl blew on his hands and pulled his sleeves over his freezing fingers. He was attempting to keep hold of the slippery reins with cloth covered hands. Van Helsing was quiet, staring straight ahead.

"So this wolf of yours... could I pet it?" Carl asked. She gritted her teeth. _Be nice. Be nice. It's not his fault your leg hurts._ "No. I can't even pet him."

"He doesn't bite does he?" Carl asked. She could sense a hint of nervousness.

"Only if I tell him to."

"Does he have a name?"

"No." There was silence for a moment. The sun was faint even though it was afternoon. Transylvanian autumns were short and briskly nippy, poor warnings of the horrible winter. The came around a bend in the path and her stomach clenched as she saw the tower of the former Valerious castle over the skeletonish trees.

"Stop." she said quietly. Carl reined in his horse and Van Helsing looked at her in confusion.

"Why?"

"I can't go back there. They'll kill me," she said, looking around. Another path going east caught her eye. "There, there's an inn a mile down the road. Just drop me off here." Gabriel raised one eyebrow.

"I don't think so. You can't walk a mile with a broken leg."

"Just... please... I'll be fine." she pleaded.

"No." She glared at him.

"Thank you for saving my life but it would be better if you just let me off here." Van Helsing almost smiled. It made her furious.

"You'll be okay. If they know you're with me they won't do anything."

"That won't stop them," she said, voice pleading, begging. Carl piped up.

"We could disguise you!" Tess gave them a nervous look, seeing a strange look on their faces.

"Something tells me I'm not going to like this," she said warily.

"There!" Carl exclaimed, stepping back to admire his work. Tess was barely recognizable. Her long, curly brown hair was cut page boy short, coming only to her jaw. She had brushed it straight. She wore one of Gabriel's spare gray turtlenecks, which hung off her thin frame. Her skirt was adjusted and sown into pants. The dark black bruise around her left eye also helped. "Your own mum wouldn't know you!" Carl said proudly. Van Helsing was smiling amusedly. Tess glared at them both.

"I can't believe I let you do this..." she said, voice mixed with embarassment, anger and regret.

"You'd have to make up a name though," Gabriel said thoughtfully.

"No. I didn't tell them my real name."

"Why?" The vampire hunter asked.

"I don't know. I told them my name was Cayda." Another wave of recognition swept over him. Cayda. He had heard that before. Where had he heard that before?

"Why Cayda?" he asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged, tucking a strand of short dark hair behind her ear. "I like it. It sounded... familiar."

"You could pretend to be Van Helsing's wife or something," Carl suggested. Both of them glared at him.

"I don't think so," Tess replied.

"Why not?" Van Helsing asked teasingly.

"Well... because.. I just met you!" she said in embarassment. Carl shrugged.

"You'd just be pretending." Tess grudgingly agreed.

The villagers looked at them slightly suspiciously until they realized it was Van Helsing. They didn't exactly rush to greet him but they didn't threaten him either. One told him he could stay in the Valerious castle. Because he had killed the vampires they kept a few tenants up there in case he came back.

"We knew you would," a man called.

"Would what?" Gabriel asked.

"Come back."

"Oh."

"Who's the girl?" someone else asked. That was good. The disguise was working. Gabriel hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"A very good friend of mine," he said, sounding triumphant. "My soon to be wife, Tess. Isn't that right love?" he asked, giving her squeeze with his arm and winking at her. She looked him in the face, voice dripping with mock affection.

"Oh yes love. Of course." Carl almost laughed out loud. They headed up the steep hill towards the castle, his arm still hooked around her. She whispered under her breath.

"It's a good thing these people think we love each other, because I could kill you right now." Gabriel smirked.

"Sorry honey, but it wasn't me that thought of it." Carl gulped at the glare that Tess shot at him.


	5. Vampires!

Title: Memories of Tess

Disclaimer: I don't own the movie.

Tess wandered through the large castle admiringly, running a tentative hand across an expensive sculpture of a dragon. Van Helsing was also lurking around somewhere, finding food and opening the bedrooms. Carl was to nervous to be left alone, so he followed Tess. She limped along slowly, broken leg making her go more slowly then she wanted. The place was huge, and she wanted to explore all of it. She was kind of glad Carl was there to help her, though she wouldn't admit it. She didn't like to feel so helpless, but Carl helping her wasn't as bad as Van Helsing helping her.

"This is a pretty statue," she remarked, trying to break the silence.

"It's a dragon," Carl said, pointing out the obvious. Tess rolled her eyes, limping slowly into the next room. She looked into the room, sneezing at the dust. Carl's eyes widened and he was very quiet. Tess turned to look at him.

"What? What's wrong?" Carl stepped farther into the room, looking around.

"This is her room," he said. Tess opened the closet, looking at all the fine outfits.

"Who's room?"

"Anna's room."

"Who is Anna?" Carl didn't say anything, just motioned for her to follow him out, explaining they shouldn't be in there. Tess just nodded and followed him, not asking again. They turned a corner to find a hallway darkened by unlit lamps. She headed into the darkness, wanting to laugh out loud when she heard Carl gulp nervously. She liked the dark. She bumped into something and fell backwards into Carl, who yelped and fell onto the hard tile floor. She pulled herself off of him, gritting her teeth when he accidentally hit her leg. She grunted painfully, still sitting on the floor, pain searing up her leg. Something, someone cursed loudly and lit a match. She looked up through watery eyes into the face of Van Helsing. Carl was complaining about a near heart attack but neither woman nor vampire hunter was listening.

"You alright?" he asked worriedly, helping her up. She nodded and he helped her along down the hall towards an empty room. She sat down on the bed, pain slightly subsiding. He took off the splint and looked at it.

"You unset it," he said with an angry look. "Quit fooling around. You want to be crippled for life?" he asked. She leaned back on the many pillows, gritting her teeth again. "No," she managed to grunt.

"Hold still. I'm going to reset it." She nodded, gasping when he straightened the leg, pushing the bone into line and tightening the splint. He looked at her sympathetically. Once again both of them had the feeling they had known each other for a long time and once again both of them felt uneasy about this. They had never met before… had they?

Van Helsing left her in her room and she soon fell asleep on the huge bed. A few hours later when she woke up she wondered why, as the bed was so comfortable and she was still tired. A long wailing sound echoed earlier through the halls, from outside the drafty window in her room. She sat up, irritated by the pain in her leg. The sound came again and her stomach fluttered nervously, if a nervous villager was out with a gun her wolf would be in trouble. She headed down the hall, pulling on her soft moccasin like shoes. She prowled quietly down the stairs, stopping in alarm when a floor board creaked. She was on the alert, every sense tingling, eyes seeing every movement, ready to run; or limp away at any sign of being caught. She slid open the heavy oaken doors slowly, wincing at the squeaky noise the hinges made. Tess left them open for fear of being locked out and padded softly across the frosty grass. The night was cold and quiet, the wide expanse of sky dotted by stars clear and bright. She was filled with nervous excitement like you get when running around in the dark, every sense keyed up so she could hear and see everything even in the muted dark. She wanted to run into the trees and find her wolf but her leg prevented her. She threw back her head and called out to the stars and moon and forest and wolf, letting out an animal like howl, just like a wolf. Something flashed in the moonlight between the trees, first a shadow, then a streak of silver. She yelped like a welcoming puppy and waited. Finally the wolf emerged, head low to the ground watching her.

His amber eyes were dotted with black and tinged with green, eerily feral and beautiful at the same time. His fur shimmered in the moonlight, white with silver flecks and a gray face. He lifted his head, looking her in the eyes. She smiled and he opened his mouth, black lips parting to reveal white fangs and pink tongue. Tess spoke soothingly and he came closer. All the blood that had coated him yesterday when he had saved her was gone. Tess dipped her head in typical wolf greeting, and he did the same. It was like a strange dance, wolf and girl, speaking one language, strange and unnatural yet at the same time very natural.

The wolf's tail waved once timidly and he turned to leave. He was by no means a domestic dog, he did not allow petting or to be touched at all. He was not wagging his tail, happy to see her, but merely dismissing her. Not even Tess, who shared a relationship with the wolf stronger than some relationships the wolf had with his own kind. He was the epitome of wild, a spirit that could not been broken by whip or club, human will or any other. His kind was known to kill themselves when caught in a trap, too wild to be contained. And maybe that was why he and Tess were comfortable around each other. Because they understood one another, he of the wildest race on this earth and her half wild by society's standards.

He turned and bounded back into the darkness of the forest without looking back and she hadn't expected him to. She turned around to head back to the castle, shivering from the cold. A hand grabbed her arm and she yelped, spun around to face her attacker. Van Helsing stood there, dark eyes staring into hers. He looked angry, and… worried? He had black circles under his eyes, showing how tired he was. He wore only a turtle neck and his pants, no long leather jacket or hat. When he spoke it was soft but accusing and angry.

"What are you doing? You could've been killed!" Tess glared at him, pulling her arm away.

"I'm fine thank you," she said angrily, "What are you so afraid of?" A sudden screech split the dark night air and Van Helsing looked up. Against the moon three silhouettes flew, and Tess backed up.

"Not again..." she whispered. Van Helsing grabbed her arm and pulled her along, running as fast as possible back towards the castle.

"Their still alive? Excellent," he grumbled sarcastically. She stumbled along, trying to avoid being dragged as he pulled her faster. Something swooped low over their heads and Tess ducked. They looked ahead to say a pale white figure with red hair flying ahead of them, sneering back at them. Tess bared her teeth wolfishly and snarled.

"Oh great. My favorite vampire," she hissed. Aleera turned with a flick of her wings and headed back towards them, reaching out with sharp talons. Van Helsing flung a dagger at Aleera, grinning in satisfaction when it stuck into her thigh. It gave them enough time to reach the huge oaken doors and realized they were locked. Gabriel fumbled with the key as Tess turned to face Verona and Marishka, brandishing just a small dagger. Van Helsing spoke quickly as he jammed the key into the lock and turned it.

"I'm not scared of anything. I was just hoping something like this wouldn't happen."


	6. Tess Captured

Disclaimer: It's still not mine. Oh well. Sorry I haven't written in so long. Things have been hectic here in Maine what with the biathlon and stuff. Anyways, on with the story!

Verona swooped low and landed, clawed feet grasping earth as she changed from gray bat-like form to that of an evilly beautiful woman, with long brown hair. Aleera and Marishka soon joined her, Aleera still screeching at the dagger in her leg. Marishka stepped forward menacingly, her hand reaching out to run her fingers softly down Tess's face.

"Did you think we wouldn't recognize you Tess?" spat the blond. Tess's eyes glittered ferally, and she snapped at Marishka's fingers, teeth clicking together with a metallic clip. Marishka yanked her hand back. "Oh look! The little girl thinks she's a dog! Where's your little mutt Tess?" she taunted.

"Touch me one more time and I'll snap your hand off," Tess threatened. Van Helsing pushed on the door, but it swung swiftly shut and the lock clicked. He turned slowly to see standing behind the brides a man with long black hair and dark malicious eyes. He spoke with a thick Transylvanian accent, and the air around him seemed to crackle with malice and intense energy.

"Van Helsing," he hissed softly. "So good to see you again. And I see you brought back our friend Tess. Or is it Cayda?" The hairs on the back of Tess's neck stood up and she shivered in fear. Van Helsing's dark eyes scanned their possible escape routes. There were none, unless he turned his back on the vampires – not going to happen- and try to open the door. Dracula gave a small smile, stepping closer.

"You don't remember do you?" he asked. Van Helsing tried to hide his look of curiousity. "And that's why you're here… why you let me live. Because you wanted to remember." Dracula said. Van Helsing wanted to kill him at that moment and Dracula knew it, but he couldn't. It was the reason he was here, to learn about his past. Dracula knew he was safe with this bit of information.

"Should I tell you? It is quite a long story but we have time. All the time in the world you and I." Dracula was coming closer and Tess took an involuntary step forward in fear. Dracula swooped closer, pieces of his black hair coming out of its clip and framing his pale face. Tess was frozen, like a rabbit that has been surprised, so frightened it can't move. Dracula walked around her, Van Helsing watching her every move. With a sudden lunge Dracula changed to bat form and grabbed Tess with his talons, lifting off from the ground, holding the young woman. Tess yelped and he rose higher off the ground. Van Helsing jumped, trying to grab either Tess or Dracula but he wasn't fast enough. Marishka, Aleera, and Verona all took to the skies with evil sneers at Gabriel.

"Come save little Tess oh won't you Van Helsing?" Verona said with a wolfish smile. Van Helsing slammed his fist against the door and swore loudly as the four figures flew off into the dark sky. Carl opened the door and peeked out.

"What's going on out here?" he asked nervously. Gabriel brushed past him and shot directions over his shoulder.

"Get my weapons Carl and get ready to leave. We're going to go get Tess back."

A/N: Sorry it was so short, but I will update again soon, depending on the reviews I get.


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